Module1BritishandAmericanEnglishPartOne:TeachingDesignPeriod5:CULTURALCORNER—TheManWhoMadeSpellingSimpleGoals●ToreadtoknowmoreaboutlanguageProcedures▇BeforeyoureadPleasegooverthewordlistforthismodule,payingattentiontothepronunciationoftheword,therelationshipbetweenitspronunciationanditsspelling.▇WhileyoureadCut/thesentencesintothoughtgroups,blackenthepredicates,underlinetheusefulexpressionsanddarkentheconnectives.▇AfteryoureadCopyalltheusefulexpressionsintoyourExpressionBook.Youmaymakesentenceswiththeseexpressions.Expressionsfrom:TheManWhoMadeSpellingSimpleInEnglish,thespellingofwords,representthesound,combinationsofletters,bepronouncedinanumberofways,havetoomanyletters,forAmericans,alittlebiteasier,thanksto…,theworkofNoahWebster,graduatefrom…,asayoungman,fightagainst…,intheAmericanWarofIndependence,writtenEnglish,inthenewlyindependentUnitedStates,haveadistinctive"American"look,beginone’sworkon…,suggestdoing…,simplifythespellingofEnglishwords,beextremelypopular,bythe1850s,sellonemillioncopiesayear,oneofthemostpopularschoolbooks,adoptsuggestions,insteadof…,removesilentletters,bebestknownfor…,firstappearin1828,introduce用心爱心专心116号编辑lotsofnewAmericanwords,withinformationabouttheirpronunciationanduse,ofcourse,thenewspelling,criticisethedictionary,becomeastandardreferencebook,intheStates,thenumberonedictionaryforAmericanstudents■ReadingmoreaboutspellinginEnglishSpellItinEnglishEnglishspellingisconfusingandchaotic,asanystudentofEnglishknowsalltoowell.“Howcanthelettersoughspellsomanydifferentsoundingwords,”theyask,“likedough,bough,rough,andthrough?”Andwhataboutawordlikecolonelthatclearlycontainnor,yetpretendsitdoes,andachewithitsksound,insteadofthechuhsoundofarch?Andwhydoesfourhaveauwhilefortydoesn’t?TherearenosimplerulesforEnglishspelling,butthereisanexplanationbehinditscomplexity.Wehaveonlytolookbackinhistory.Overthecenturies,theEnglishlanguagehasbeenlikeamagnet,attractingwordsfromnumerousotherlanguages.ItallstartedwiththeBritons,anancientpeoplelivinginapartofwesternEuropethateventuallybecametheBritishIsles.TheyspokealanguagecalledCeltic,whichwasacombinationoftheearlyformsofIrish,Scottish,andWelsh.WhentheBritonswereconqueredbytheRomansandlatertheGermanictribes,theirlanguagewasalsoinvaded.ThemergingofthelanguagesgavebirthtoOldEnglish,andaLatinalphabetreplaced,withafewexceptions,theancientGermanicalphabet.Intheninthcentury,theconqueringNorsemenfromScandinaviaaddedtheirpinchoflanguagespice,asdidtheFrenchintheeleventhcentury.Bythefourteenthcentury,English,withitsmixofatleastfivelanguages,hadevolvedintowhatiscalledMiddleEnglishandhadbecomeBritain’sofficiallanguage.Atthattime,however,itsspellingwerefarfromconsistentorrational.Manydialectshaddevelopedoverthecenturiesandsometimespeopleadoptedthespellingusedinonepartofthecountryandthepronunciationusedinanother.Forinstance,todayweusethewesternEnglishspellingsforbusyandbury,butgivethefirsttheLondonpronunciationbizzyandthesecondtheKentish(肯特语的)pronunciationberry.Ofcourse,thisallhappenedwhenEnglishwasprimarilyaspokenlanguage,andonlyscholarsknewhowtoreadandwrite.Eventheyappeartohavebeenquiteindifferenttomattersifconsistencyinspelling,andwereknowntospellthesamewordseveraldifferentwaysinasinglesentence.EvenafterWilliamCaxtonsetupEngland’sfirstprintingpressinthelatefifteenthcentury,andthewrittenwordbecameavai...
